Lindsay Davenport facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Lindsay Davenport Leach

Davenport in 2013
Full name	Lindsay Ann Davenport Leach
Country (sports)	United States
Residence	Laguna Beach, California, US
Born	(1976-06-08) June 8, 1976 (age 49) Palos Verdes, California, US
Height	6 ft 2.5 in (1.89 m)
Turned pro	February 22, 1993
Retired	2010 (last match)
Plays	Right-handed (two-handed backhand)
Coach	Robert Lansdorp Craig Kardon (1994–1995) Robert Van't Hof (1995–2003) Rick Leach (2004) Adam Peterson (2004–2010)
Prize money	US$22,166,338 19th in all-time rankings
Int. Tennis HoF	2014 (member page)
Singles
Career record	753–194 (79.51%)
Career titles	55
Highest ranking	No. 1 (October 12, 1998)
Grand Slam singles results
Australian Open	W (2000)
French Open	SF (1998)
Wimbledon	W (1999)
US Open	W (1998)
Other tournaments
Grand Slam Cup	SF (1999)
Tour Finals	W (1999)
Olympic Games	W (1996)
Doubles
Career record	387–116 (76.94%)
Career titles	38
Highest ranking	No. 1 (October 20, 1997)
Grand Slam doubles results
Australian Open	F (1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2005)
French Open	W (1996)
Wimbledon	W (1999)
US Open	W (1997)
Other doubles tournaments
Tour Finals	W (1996, 1997, 1998)
Olympic Games	QF (2008)
Mixed doubles
Career record	18–6
Career titles	0
Grand Slam mixed doubles results
Australian Open	SF (1995)
Wimbledon	SF (1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 2004)
Team competitions
Fed Cup	W (1996, 1999, 2000)
Hopman Cup	W (2004)
Coaching career (2015–)
Madison Keys (2014–2015, 2017–)
Medal record Olympic Games Gold 1996 Atlanta Women's singles

Lindsay Ann Davenport Leach (born June 8, 1976) is a famous American former professional tennis player. She was once ranked as the world's number one player in women's singles for 98 weeks. This included being the top player at the end of four different years! She also reached number one in women's doubles for 32 weeks.

Lindsay Davenport won 55 singles titles during her career. These include three major championships, also known as Grand Slams: the US Open in 1998, Wimbledon in 1999, and the Australian Open in 2000. She also won a gold medal at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. In doubles, she won 38 titles, including three Grand Slams: the French Open in 1996, the US Open in 1997, and Wimbledon in 1999.

In 2005, TENNIS Magazine named Lindsay Davenport as the 29th-greatest tennis player (male or female) of the previous 40 years. She earned over US$22 million in prize money during her career. Lindsay Davenport was honored by being inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2014.

Early Life and Tennis Beginnings

Lindsay Davenport comes from a very athletic family. Her dad, Wink Davenport, was part of the U.S. volleyball team at the 1968 Summer Olympics. Her mom, Ann L. Davenport, was also involved in volleyball.

While her two older sisters played volleyball, Lindsay started playing tennis when she was just six years old. She was coached by Robert Lansdorp, who had also coached other famous tennis players. Lindsay went to Chadwick School and later Murrieta Valley High School in California.

When she was 16, Lindsay joined the United States Tennis Association junior national team. She grew very quickly, about six inches in two years, which affected her coordination. But it didn't stop her from playing well! She was excellent in junior competitions, winning both singles and doubles titles at major junior events in 1991 and the Junior U.S. Open in 1992.

Becoming a Professional Tennis Star

Lindsay Davenport officially became a professional tennis player in 1993. Even though she was ranked outside the top 100, she quickly moved up. She reached the third round at the 1993 Australian Open and later won her first big tournament title at the WTA Swiss Open. By the end of 1993, she was ranked among the top 25 players in the world.

Rising Through the Ranks (1994-1997)

In 1994, Lindsay won her first professional tournament in Brisbane, Australia. She reached her first Grand Slam quarterfinal at the 1994 Australian Open. She continued to do well, reaching semifinals and winning more titles. In doubles, she also started winning big, including reaching the 1994 French Open doubles final.

The next few years saw Lindsay consistently performing at a high level. She won more tournaments and continued to improve her game. In 1996, she had a huge moment: she won the gold medal at the Atlanta Summer Olympics in singles! This was a major achievement for her. She also won the 1996 French Open doubles title with Mary Joe Fernández. By 1997, she was winning many singles and doubles titles, including the US Open doubles title with Jana Novotná.

Reaching World Number One (1998-2000)

The year 1998 was incredible for Lindsay. She reached her second Grand Slam singles semifinal at the 1998 Australian Open. She then won her first Grand Slam singles title at the US Open, beating Martina Hingis in the final. This made her the first American-born woman to win the US Open since 1982. After this win, she became the world's number one singles player! In doubles, she reached all four Grand Slam finals in 1998, showing how strong she was in both singles and doubles.

In 1999, Lindsay continued her amazing run. She won Wimbledon in singles, defeating Steffi Graf in Graf's last Grand Slam match. She also won the Wimbledon doubles title that year. She finished 1999 as the world's number one player again.

The year 2000 started with another Grand Slam singles title for Lindsay at the 2000 Australian Open, where she didn't lose a single set! She reached the Wimbledon and US Open finals but lost to Venus Williams in both. She helped the United States win the 2000 Fed Cup team competition.

Later Career and Comebacks (2001-2010)

Lindsay continued to be a top player in 2001, winning seven singles titles and reaching the semifinals of the Australian Open and Wimbledon. She was a quarterfinalist at the US Open.

In 2002, she faced some injuries and didn't win any singles titles, but she still reached several finals and semifinals. She made a strong comeback in 2004, winning seven titles and finishing the year ranked number one for the third time in her career. She even beat Venus Williams and Serena Williams that year, which gave her a lot of confidence.

Lindsay Davenport getting ready to hit the ball at Wimbledon in 2004.

Her success continued into 2005. She reached the 2005 Australian Open final, where she had a tough match against Serena Williams. She also made it to the Wimbledon final, playing a very long and exciting match against Venus Williams. Lindsay won several more titles in 2005 and finished the year as the world's number one player for the fourth time, a rare achievement shared with only a few other tennis legends.

Lindsay Davenport preparing to serve at the 2006 U.S. Open.

In 2006, Lindsay became one of only eight women in WTA history to win 700 singles matches. She took a break from tennis in late 2006 and much of 2007 to have her first child.

She made an amazing return to the WTA Tour in 2007, winning her first tournament back in Bali. She won two more titles that year, showing her incredible determination. In 2008, she won two more singles titles, bringing her career total to 55. She also won a doubles title with Lisa Raymond. Lindsay officially played her last professional match in 2010, playing mixed doubles at Wimbledon.

World TeamTennis Involvement

Lindsay Davenport played for 11 seasons in World TeamTennis (WTT), a league where men and women play together on teams. She started in 1993 and helped her team, the Sacramento Capitals, win three championships in 1997, 1998, and 2007. She was named the Female MVP (Most Valuable Player) in 1997 and 2010, showing her importance to the league.

Playing Style

Lindsay Davenport was known as an "aggressive baseliner." This means she liked to stay near the back of the court and hit the ball very hard and deep. Her game was built around her powerful serve and strong groundstrokes (shots hit after the ball bounces). She used these to control the game and hit "winners," which are shots that her opponent can't return.

She was famous for hitting the ball with a lot of power, aiming for the corners of the court. Her first serve was incredibly powerful, sometimes reaching speeds of 121 miles per hour! She also had good "kick" and "slice" serves for her second serves, which helped her avoid double faults.

Lindsay's forehand was hit flat and had great depth and power. Her two-handed backhand was also very strong. While she wasn't the fastest player on the court, she improved her fitness a lot during her career. She was also known for her mental strength, which helped her win many tough matches.

Equipment and Endorsements

During her career, Lindsay Davenport was sponsored by Nike for her clothing and shoes. She also used Wilson racquets, usually from their Hammer series.

Coaching Career

After her playing career, Lindsay Davenport became a coach. She started coaching fellow American tennis player Madison Keys in 2015. Under Lindsay's guidance, Madison Keys reached the semifinals of a Grand Slam tournament for the first time at the 2015 Australian Open.

Personal Life and Family

Lindsay Davenport married Jon Leach on April 25, 2003. Jon was also a tennis player and is the brother of her former coach, Rick Leach.

Lindsay took a break from tennis to start her family. She gave birth to her first child, a son named Jagger Leach, in 2007. She later had a daughter in 2009, another daughter in 2012, and her fourth child (a third daughter) in 2014.

Her son, Jagger Leach, has followed in her footsteps and is also a talented tennis player. He made his debut in the junior tournament at the 2024 Australian Open and reached the quarterfinals of the juniors tournament at Wimbledon in 2024.

Awards and Accomplishments

• Named Rookie of the Year by TENNIS Magazine and World TeamTennis in 1993.
• International Tennis Federation (ITF) World Champion in women's doubles (1996) and in both singles and doubles (1998).
• Tennis Magazine Player of the Year (1998).
• Women's Tennis Association (WTA) Player of the Year (1998 and 1999).
• Won the Prix Orange at the 2000 French Open for showing fairness, kindness, and friendliness in tennis.
• Voted as a joint winner of the 2004 women's Ambassador for Tennis award.
• Named WTA Comeback Player of the Year in 2007.

Images for kids

• 

  Lindsay Davenport getting ready to hit the ball at Wimbledon in 2004.

• 

  Lindsay Davenport preparing to serve at the 2006 U.S. Open.

See also

In Spanish: Lindsay Davenport para niños

• List of female tennis players
• List of Wimbledon ladies' singles champions
• List of Grand Slam women's singles champions